


And You Would Be There Too

by scentedglitter



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: ......anyway back to the fluff, Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Holidays, New Year's Eve, and inexplicably i should probably tag pandora, i live in australia christmas is horrific bushfires and smoke haze public health crises, probably ft terrible descriptions of snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21899815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scentedglitter/pseuds/scentedglitter
Summary: Beca meets Chloe at work a few days before Christmas, and they get to know each other over the holidays. Pure holiday fluff.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 16
Kudos: 81





	And You Would Be There Too

**Author's Note:**

> This started as me using fic to rant about Christmas Working In Jewellery Retail and very quickly got out of control (as many things I do at this time of year do) and became very long and fluffy (which are not words I would use to describe any of my out of control Christmas work projects). References to any real-life brands or promotions are obviously intentional but this is a fic the terms & conditions are not correct to real life.
> 
> Title taken from Taylor Swift's 'Christmas Tree Farm'.
> 
> Mostly not proofread because: see above.

“Good morning Beca!” Stacie calls as Beca ducks under the half-open security gate and into the store, striding towards the small back room to stash away her bag and throw her lunch in the fridge. There are quite a few things she’d prefer to be doing with her Christmas break than working in a jewellery store – working on mixes, for one – but it could be worse. Her coworkers are nice, the customers are fine, and it pays way better than the Starbucks job she had beforehand. Her “moving to college in 6 months” fund is looking nice and healthy. Not that she’s moving particularly far to college – she only lives thirty minutes from the campus, and it’s beside the mall she works in. But still. She wants independence.

“Morning,” Beca mumbles as she walks back out into the store, acknowledging Stacie and Nicole, the slightly older woman on shift with them for the day. She’s glad for her timing when not thirty seconds later their manager Jess turns up and gathers them into morning briefing.

“Welcome to Thursday! Less than one week to go, so we’re getting close. We need to keep rotating the window displays, particularly the catalogue stock, could you work on that first thing this morning, Stacie?” Jess starts, and Beca zones out as they discuss the window display. “Beca – we’ll support when necessary, but you good to handle Pandora again today? How’s the bracelet promo stock going?” she adds, after a while, Beca quickly zoning back in.

“Uh, yeah, we’re getting really low on the bangles, less than 20 left when I counted yesterday after close,” Beca answers, stumbling a little as she kicks her brain into gear. She had been hired as a Christmas casual the previous year largely to handle the Pandora counter, and had somehow impressed enough that she was still there. Maybe she’s quietly good at biting back her natural response and sweet-talking customers that get upset when the Pandora free gift bangle runs out before Christmas.

“Okay, it won’t last today then. What’s our plan?” Jess asks, in response, and Beca nods.

“Um, Allie and I were talking yesterday-“ she starts, kicking herself for not taking full credit for the idea, “we have a lot of that retired heart clasp bangle from Valentine’s Day left, maybe we could use those?”

“Oh, yeah, good idea, do that. Okay, I think that’s it, let’s go,” Jess finishes her briefing as all four move out to start setting the shop up.

“Help me with diamonds?” Stacie asks, gesturing towards the safe, but Beca quickly gives her a covert middle finger and turns to remove the overnight covers from all the cabinets instead. Stacie may be her best work friend – hell, her best friend in general – but she’s too damn chatty in the mornings. And Nicole likes doing the diamond setup, anyway.

It’s, fortunately, a relatively uneventful morning. With schools now all out for the Christmas break – Beca and Stacie had been out for a week already, seniors got extra – there are plenty of young girls milling around Beca’s Pandora counter, but they rarely spend the $150 necessary for the bangle gift and they’re easy to engage in polite conversation about how nice it is to have a break from school. She takes her ten-minute morning break after all her coworkers, using the time to wander out into the mall and find the book she wanted to buy her Dad for Christmas. At least the whole literature professor thing made him easy to buy for.

The mothers with children in prams are the next wave of customers through the late morning, and Beca has to bite back a snarl when a 5-year-old kid – he looks the same age as her cousin – climbs up in his pram and starts pulling at all the rings in the display case, getting sticky kid fingers all over the stock.

“Oh, I’m so sorry – Matthew! Get down! – he’s five, it’s so hard to get him to settle down-“

“It’s fine, I have a cousin his age, I know how they are,” Beca politely interrupts the mother’s apology, hoping her tone isn’t too obviously fake-sweet as she moves along the sale so she can get the kid out of the way and clean the display. The woman spends enough for a free bracelet, and she makes a mental note that there’s only a handful left after she hands one over.

“Hi there, how’s your morning been?” Stacie asks a customer milling over by the far side of the Pandora counter some 45 minutes later, having evidently noticed Beca is overrun. There’s only so many people she can serve at once.

“Hi, my girlfriend – she has a bangle, I think, and she likes blue, but I don’t know-“ Beca’s next customer, a man in his late twenties, has a hallmark of confusion and stress that she recognises well. These guys are always most appreciative of her help.

“Would you like me to show you a few beads in blue and you can see whether she might like any of them?” Beca asks, and he nods appreciatively. She gives Stacie a grateful smile when she ducks behind the counter to pull out a display tray to show him, too.

He takes ten minutes to decide, but he ends up with three beads and the last free bracelet – and in the meantime, with Stacie’s help, the number of customers waiting at the counter dwindles down until the two girls Beca turns to next, maybe a few years her senior, are the last.

“Is there something you’d like a closer look at?” Beca asks, immediately put off by the icy glare the blonde shoots her way.

“Yes, finally. Disney,” she speaks, abruptly, and Beca bites her tongue and smiles pointedly at her before bringing the Disney collection tray out.

“Are you buying for someone in particular?” she asks, lightly.

“Yeah, Aubrey’s gorgeous ne-“ the other woman starts, before being cut off by her friend – Aubrey, she guesses – before Beca even has a chance to glance at the friend. She’s quietly glad, she had noticed how attractive she was absentmindedly while they were waiting.

“A young girl, obviously. Where’s Frozen?”

“We have this selection here,” Beca starts, gesturing to the front left of the tray, “but we also have a number of snowflake and winter-themed charms in other collections which go wonderfully with these.”

Aubrey doesn’t say anything in response, and against her best judgement, Beca lets her eyes flick up to her friend – a redhead – to be met with a soft, apologetic smile and the brightest blue eyes she thinks she’s ever seen.

“If you could quit ogling my friend, I’ll take these two and the blue cubic zirconia snowflake,” the blonde snaps a few moments later, “and the free star bracelet.”

“I wasn’t-“ Beca stumbles, for a moment, before forcing a smile. “Sure, I’ll grab those for you – unfortunately we have run out of the star bracelet for the free gift promotion, however can I offer you a free heart clasp bracelet instead?”

“No, that’s not good enough, the gift is a star clasp bracelet and I’m entitled to that bracelet,” the blonde snaps, and Beca can’t stop herself from wincing slightly.

“Unfortunately the promotion is only while stocks last and we have run out of the star clasp bracelet, all I can offer is this alternative, which would also be a gift and has the same retail value as the star bracelet,” she explains, again, pulling out one of the heart clasp bracelets to show the customer.

“Oh, that’s pretty, that will be lovely thank-“ the friend starts, again being cut off.

“No, it’s not fine, it’s false advertising and a clear breach of consumer law – I will have you fired and this business shut down.”

“Ma’am,” Beca starts, shifting into her ‘unreasonable customer’ customer service voice, much closer to her normal voice, “the conditions of the bracelet promotion are clearly displayed on all the signage in store and all advertising material, and they indicate it is only available while stocks last. I’m sorry you are disappointed, however I have no way to give you something we don’t have.”

The blonde is silent, for a moment, before letting out a sigh.

“Whatever. Give me the heart one in a size 17.”

Beca doesn’t respond, quickly glancing around to see everyone else is already involved serving other customers and she will have to process the sale herself. She remains quiet, although forces herself to smile again, as she gestures towards and leads the two women over to the register.

“Would you like these gift wrapped? We have a lovely blue snowflake Christmas paper that would be great for a Frozen gift,” she asks.

“Do you even know how to wrap gifts yet, child?” the blonde sneers, and Beca doesn’t quite know what to say.

“Yes, wrapping would be lovely, thank you,” the redhead breaks the awkward silence after a moment.

“Thank you for shopping with us, I hope you have a nice holiday period,” Beca supplies her default goodbye, when they are finally leaving.

“What the fuck, Aubrey?” the redhead hisses, as they walk away, and Beca thinks it was said loud enough for her to hear intentionally.

“Well done, Beca, she was rough,” Jess tells her, quietly, as she wanders back to the Pandora counter, inwardly happy it’s empty right now and she has a few moments to catch her breath.

She gets a few more unhappy customers through the early afternoon who don’t understand why they can’t get the free bangle in the picture, but they’re much more easily subdued than the woman earlier and she gets some of the rant about ungrateful customers out of her head on her lunch break by sending a lot of texts to her school best friend, Jesse. She hopes it will help her not snap at anyone else who decides to be demanding.

“Someone asking for you,” Stacie tells her when she steps back out into the store at the end of her lunch break. The wide grin she gives when she speaks puts Beca on high alert and seeing the easily recognisable redheaded woman from earlier doesn’t make her feel any calmer. She can’t be coming back to complain though, Beca reasons – she was the one trying to calm her friend down.

“Hey, Beca, right?” she asks, warmly, and Beca nods.

“Um, yeah, is everything okay?” she answers, wondering where the hell her customer service confidence has gone as her voice wavers slightly.

“Oh, absolutely, I was actually coming back to apologise for my friend earlier. She’s not usually like that, and I’m really not sure why she treated you horribly but you didn’t deserve it and yeah, just wanted to say sorry,” she says, pulling a box of chocolates out from behind her back and sitting them on the counter in front of Beca, “and I thought you and your coworkers might want some extra sugar energy because I’m sure you’ll be busy the next few days.”

“Oh, that’s-“ Beca starts, not sure what to say, “that’s really nice of you, thank you.”

“No problem!” the redhead answers, “also…”

“Yeah?” Beca prompts, glancing up to meet her eyes and instantly regretting it. She swears they’re fucking twinkling.

“You’re super cute,” the redhead’s smile is smaller, nervous, a little softer as she slides a piece of paper over and sits it on top of the box of chocolates, before turning to leave. “See you later. My name’s Chloe.”

Beca stands frozen for a few seconds behind the counter before Stacie bumps her shoulder as she walks past and jolts her into action, stashing the chocolates into the back room and the note into her bag as she tries to calm down the heat rushing to her face. She’s saved by a sudden rush of customers that steadily continues until they close, preventing any of her coworkers from commenting on the interaction she knows they all saw.

“You gonna text her?” Stacie asks, the second they have the security doors closed and the window lights off to signify they’re closed and packing up for the day.

“Shut up,” Beca avoids the question, grabbing the cabinet covers from the back room where she put them earlier to put them out again.

“Did that redhead give you chocolates?” Nicole asks, grinning slyly as she pulls diamonds out of the window behind where Beca is covering the first cabinet.

“She gave them to all of us to apologise for her friend being shitty about the bangle,” Beca shrugs, trying to play it down, but Nicole just laughs.

“Sure. She gave you her number too?”

“…yeah,” Beca answers, reluctantly.

“She was super hot, you should call her. I mean, if you’re into chicks, I guess. I don’t know, it’s probably not cool of me to ask, but like-“ Jess rambles, Stacie laughing as Beca grumbles to herself.

“Yes I’m gay, yes she was hot, I don’t know if I’m going to call her but please shut up,” she answers them all, finally, feeling her cheeks redden even more as she makes a point of moving to the furthest away cabinet from everyone else to continue tidying up.

“Aww, sorry Beca. You did well with the bangle running out, though,” Jess steers the conversation back to work for long enough for the others to stop teasing Beca, and she’s quietly thankful.

She opens the piece of paper once she’s home and alone in her room. It was pretty obvious what it was by the way Chloe handed it over, but sure enough, it reads ‘Text me xx’ followed by her number. She leaves the note on her desk, but doesn’t text, not sure she has anything worth saying. It’s surprisingly good motivation to avoid her phone and get some of the homework she had over the break done, and she stays up late working through it with the knowledge that she can sleep in on her day off tomorrow. And maybe she’ll think of something to say then.

* * *

Just as she predicted, it’s after 9am when Beca wakes the next morning and there’s is no sign of her parents in the house, both evidently already at work. She throws a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster and thumbs through the handful of messages she’s got from Jesse about some new movie he’s trying to convince her to see and from Stacie expressing her jealousy at Beca’s day off while she waits for her toast to cook.

“Get a girlfriend to see that shit with you,” She replies to Jesse, almost immediately receiving an eye roll emoji in response. She leaves Stacie’s text unanswered, knowing she won’t respond for a few hours anyway, before pulling up a new text and pausing, thumb hovering over the screen.

“Hey” She types, before quickly erasing it. “You’re cute-“ She can’t even finish typing that statement before she deletes it, blushing despite the fact there is no one else home to see her complete inability to flirt.

The toaster finishes and she startles slightly at the noise, stuffing her phone back in her pocket and going to finish making and eating her breakfast.

Ten minutes later she finds herself back in her bedroom, once again cycling through and deleting message after message to no number. She already thanked her for the chocolates, so she can’t do that. She doesn’t really want to talk about her rude friend. She doesn’t think she would be able to hit send on something explicitly flirting with Chloe without literally dying of a heart attack.

She settles for finally typing the number on the small piece of paper into the ‘to’ field. At least that one is easy to fill out.

“Hey” she types again, before going to backspace it, not sure what else to add - only, instead, she hits send. And it sends, and the message delivers, and holy shit she really needs to add something else quickly, so the girl doesn’t think she’s THAT boring.

“This is Beca from the jewellers, in case you’re expecting tonnes of texts from unknown numbers today,” she adds. Okay, she thinks that’s okay. She hopes Chloe realised she’s being jokey, though, and not insinuating judgement about giving her number out or-

Her freaking out takes an entirely different direction when suddenly she’s looking at ‘Read 9:56am’ instead of delivered, and three dots indicating an incoming reply.

“Wasn’t sure whether to even expect one from you actually, couldn’t tell if you were interested... although apparently you were ogling me 😉,” the reply seems to be intended as a joke, too, but it still makes Beca panic.

“I swear I wasn’t, I was just being polite and paying attention to customers... did notice you while I was serving the guy before you though,” She admits, not wanting to accidentally imply she is particularly disinterested.

“Before I go any further - how old are you? I got an at least 18 if not older vibe but Aubrey thinks you’re younger and I don’t want to be doing anything sketchy when I ask you on a date,” Chloe’s next reply is a little unexpected, although the mention of a date provides more excitement than Beca expects.

“I’m 18. Senior in high school still. I’m guessing you’re older?” Beca replies, before quickly adding, “that non-sketchy date sounds good”

She has game, sometimes, just as long as she’s not speaking to anyone face to face. So mostly she has game that doesn’t get her anywhere except the occasional bad tinder date when she can be bothered to actually open tinder. She really should work on that before she moves to the dorms at Barden for college.

“Yeah, I’m 21. Sophomore at Barden. If that doesn’t freak you out then is it unreasonable to ask you out tonight?” Chloe’s next message takes a moment to be typed out. Beca is quietly relieved her being in high school doesn’t seem to be a problem.

“My Dad’s a professor at Barden, I’m used to college people. Tonight is good, I’m not working today so I’m free whenever.”

“Meet me at the diner between the campus and the mall at 7? I’m sorry I can’t offer to pick you up, but I’ve actually got a class that finishes at 6.”

“That’s fine, sounds good, what class?” Beca asks, trying to steer in a more conversational direction so she can learn more about the girl.

“Literature as Memory. It’s about how fictional stories can be used as interpretations of historical texts,” Chloe replies, and Beca can’t help but groan out loud in response. Of all the attractive college girls she could end up on a date with... “what does your Dad teach?”” Chloe’s next message arrives before Beca has a chance to reply, and she winces. The last thing she wants to talk about is her Dad, but...

“He’s a literature professor. Teaching comparative and literature of memory this semester...”

“Ooh, Prof Mitchell. Nice, I got your last name, I can Facebook stalk you now 😉”

“Want to even the playing field and share yours?”

“I actually have to go to work now sorry, I’m looking forward to tonight x” the next message comes just as Beca sends hers, and the included x again causes her to blush to an empty room. “Beale. Happy stalking x” Chloe adds, quickly, Beca not able to stop herself from flipping open her laptop and typing ‘Chloe Beale’ into Facebook search.

“I’ve got a date with her tonight,” she texts Stacie as the search loads. She’s not surprised when the only reply she gets - once it’s time for Stacie’s lunch break - is a mess of shocked and inappropriate emojis.

She staves off the anxiety over her date by spending the day working on mixes. It’s not like she hasn’t been on dates before, there was even one girl recently who was in college but - Chloe’s older, and she’s almost unbelievably attractive, and Beca kind of wants this one to lead to more than making out at a stupid high school party and then never talking to her again, like the handful of past dates she’s been on since she came out in freshman year. But she tries not to think about that, instead getting lost in a mashup of titanium and bulletproof that she’s been working on for the last week.

Her mother gets home just after 5, but thankfully, doesn’t come upstairs to disturb her. Beca doesn’t exactly intend on sneaking out without her parents knowing, though, so she reluctantly trudges downstairs to find her sitting at the kitchen bench with a coffee and newspaper.

“Um, hi,” she starts, awkwardly, her Mum twisting in the chair to look at her.

“Nice day off?” her Mum asks, and she shrugs.

“I’ve just been working on mixes because I got a heap of homework done last night after work. How was work?”

“Oh, you know. Six year olds really like Christmas and were way too loud but I can’t exactly yell at them on the last day of the semester,” she shrugs, and Beca nods. She’s still not entirely sure how her parents ended up together, being at such opposite ends of the educational spectrum. She thinks they met outside work, but still. She doesn’t care enough to ask. “What do you want for dinner tonight? Your Dad has a late class, last one before their final, so he won’t be home until late. I was thinking I might cook something.”

“Um, I’m actually – came down to tell you I’m kind of going out with someone tonight?” Beca answers, reaching back to scratch at her neck, looking away from her mother over at the other side of the kitchen.

“That sounds like it’s not Jesse or Stacie…” her Mum trails off, Beca able to picture the raised eyebrow without looking.

“Uh, yeah, girl I met yesterday at work,” she mumbles, eyes now drifting down to the floor. Their kitchen floorboards really need some maintenance.

“Okay. Where are you going?” her Mum doesn’t seem particularly fussed by the admission that it’s a date, and Beca reluctantly looks back up before she answers.

“The diner between the mall and Barden. She, um, goes to Barden.”

“Oh, okay. When?”

“Meeting her there at 7. So I need to go like… attempt to find clothes,” she gestures up towards her room, quickly moving out of the room and walking upstairs to avoid any further questions.

She decides on a slightly less casual button-up than her usual plaid, black jeans and relatively casual makeup but slightly more eyeliner than she had on at work yesterday. The diner isn’t fancy, but it is a date, so she figures she should be hitting somewhere in the smart casual range, whatever that means. Her Dad is not yet home when she leaves, thankfully, and her mother just tells her to have a nice time and not stay out too late.

“Hey,” she greets Chloe, walking up to where she is standing outside the diner just on 7pm, hands stuffed in her pockets as she tries to push past the wave of nerves rushing under her skin.

“That your standard greeting?” Chloe asks, clearly teasing, and Beca finds herself grinning in response.

“I guess it is. Is yours not actually having one?”

“Hey,” Chloe winks when she answers, opening the door and gesturing for Beca to enter ahead of her.

“So, how was your day?” Beca surprises herself when she is the first to speak after they sit down at a booth by the wall, furthest from the door. Chloe had picked the spot, evidently aiming for privacy.

“Oh, you know, I could do without a class and a final so close to the holidays because I’ve got to drive to my parents’ place in Florida literally on Christmas Eve because of it but it was fine. I work at the bookstore on campus and it’s super dead this time of year so that was easy, at least. How about you?”

They chat amicably for a few minutes about their days, Beca explaining her interest in music production and mixing songs, before they are politely interrupted by a server to take their orders. Beca forgot to look at the menu, but she’s been here a few times so she goes for her usual.

“So, what’s it like having a teacher as a parent? One of my high school best friends’ Mum was an English teacher, she got all her assignments proofread, it was so great,” Chloe asks, after the server leaves, and Beca shrugs.

“He’s mildly helpful with English assignments sometimes but not much else. He works really strange hours, and my Mum’s a second grade teacher so my summers as a kid were always very parent-heavy.”

“You don’t sound pleased by that?” Chloe enquires.

“I’m an only child and I like my space, so no, didn’t love it. But it’s whatever, I guess,” she finishes, suddenly remembering she met Chloe like, yesterday, and why is she sharing so much? “What do your parents do? They’re in Florida, you said?”

“Yeah, one real estate agent and one legal assistant. I actually grew up in upstate New York, but between middle school and high school we moved to Florida to be closer to my grandparents who were all there, both my parents were from Florida originally. Have you been in Atlanta long?”

“Yeah, pretty much my whole life. My Dad’s had the same position at Barden as long as I can remember.”

“This is the third time I’ve had him as a professor, actually, he’s pretty good. I’m double majoring in literature and history, so, kind of my area. What kind of stuff are you into, school-wise?”

“I’m heading to Barden next year, probably majoring in business admin and music production. I’m pretty serious about the whole music thing, that’s kind of where I want to go… long term.”

“Oooh, that’s awesome. I’m actually in a singing group on campus, maybe you can join when you start next year! Well, depending how this goes, I guess.”

“We’ll see. I’m not one for public singing…” Beca trails off, noticing an excited glint in Chloe’s eyes in response.

“Only private singing, then? How much is it going to take for me to hear you sing?” she teases, and Beca can’t stop herself from blushing.

“Depends how this goes,” she repeats Chloe’s words back at her, Chloe prevented from replying by the arrival of their food.

Their conversation is light as they eat, although far from superficial. They discuss music, Beca happy to discover Chloe’s love for and connection to it goes almost, although not entirely, as deep as hers. They talk about their favourite spots in Atlanta, and they have a surprisingly in-depth conversation about the implications of the changes in the Barden Student Association’s structure on the ability for activist groups like the environmental collective to make meaningful change on campus. So she’s not like, openly into politics, but she hears all the campus stuff from her Dad, and there’s a part of her that is super sympathetic to the environmental movement.

Neither of them makes any move to leave when they’ve finished their food and their plates have been cleared, instead still locked in happy conversation.

“Can I ask a particularly personal question?” Chloe asks, their previous discussion coming to a natural pause.

“Sure?” Beca answers, although she feels herself tense up slightly in response.

“I figure it’s safe to assume you’re into girls, but like… are you open, and if so, what’s it like with that and high school at the moment? I mean, I was super open at school in Florida, but a lot has happened in the last 3 years in that space, so I wonder.”

“I came out as a lesbian in freshman year, and like, I’m not… popular or anything, nor am I super unpopular. There’s a group of evangelical religious kids that is pretty shit to the gay kids – there’s a few of us, although I’m not close to any of the others – but everyone else is pretty chill about it. I don’t get any different reaction making out with a girl at a party than straight people do. My best friend, who is a dude, had a crush on me and went super weird on me for like six months after I came out but once I worked out why that sorted itself out and he apologised. Was it okay in Florida?” Beca quickly turns the question back on Chloe, kicking herself for talking about making out with other people on a date.

“You go to college parties yet?” Chloe asks, instead.

“I’ve been to a couple,” Beca answers, raising an eyebrow.

“Aw, I could’ve met you at a party then maybe,” Chloe winks, and it takes Beca a moment before she realises what Chloe is implying.

“Meeting me elsewhere doesn’t preclude a similar outcome,” she responds, after taking a moment to collect herself, hiding the sentiment behind vagueness because she’s too damn nervous to be any more blatant.

“I’m glad,” Chloe answers, softer than Beca expects, reaching across and fitting her fingers between Beca’s where they rest on the table. “To answer your actual question – I was popular, I guess, and it saved me from a lot of the trouble. I only came out in senior year, and a few of the guys I was friends with got pretty gross and objectifying about it, but I know there was a couple of other people who got way more shit. I wish high school me hadn’t been too selfish to look out for the others a little more.”

“What’s it like at Barden?”

“I’m sure it will be no surprise to you at all, but Aubrey actually was super judgemental when I first met her because I was in somewhat of a… compromising position the first time she saw me, and she brought it up in a super homophobic way when we next saw each other at the first meeting of our singing group. I haven’t had any other poor reactions, it’s pretty chill.”

“I hope she’s loosened up about that, if you’re friends with her?” Beca asks, not able to stop the disbelief in her tone.

“Yeah, she definitely has, about a week later she ran into me on campus between classes and was super apologetic. She has a tendency to get defensive first when she’s uncomfortable, and it’s certainly not her best trait, I won’t defend it. I still don’t know why she was so off yesterday, she wouldn’t say shit to me and she went back home after we left, I hung around by myself until I went to talk to you.”

“Does she know you’re on a date with me?”

“She does, we live together in one of the on-campus apartments and she was home when I got back from class to change. She just wanted to know how old you are.”

“I mean, I can’t exactly… change it, but… you don’t mind? That I’m younger, I mean?” Beca asks, inwardly swearing at the insecurity coming through in her tone.

“I only turned 21 last month, I’m not that much older than you. I really don’t care. I was more worried about seeming like a creep for flirting if you were under 18,” Chloe admits, her grip on Beca’s hand loosening.

“Not creepy,” Beca confirms, in response, twisting her hand to take Chloe’s more firmly.

“Fantastic,” Chloe answers, and Beca starts to panic that they’re going to fall into uncomfortable silence, until Chloe adds, “you’re legit the most attractive person. And now I know you’re into music, and a little bit sarcastic, and make good conversation. Basically ticking all my boxes, Beca.”

“Basically? Does that mean there’s more still to tick if we’re going detailed?” she asks, trying not to acknowledge that she knows she’s blushing like all shit and clearly buying time to come up with a way to admit she’s super into Chloe too but like… less abruptly.

“Mm, probably, but I’m not quite sure what they are and they’re probably not first date boxes,” Chloe’s own cheeks redden slightly, and it reminds Beca she’s probably not the only nervous one here.

“I hope I can check them on our second date or whatever comes next, then, because… yeah,” she feels her nerves rapidly reappear midway through her sentence, inwardly cursing her brain for not just relaxing like it has been for the last two hours they’ve been sitting talking, “this is probably the best date I’ve ever been on and you’re the best person I’ve ever been on a date with.”

She knows her statement is rushed and blatantly full of panic but Chloe doesn’t comment, instead squeezing her hand and shifting her feet under the table to rest against Beca’s.

“I’d love to turn that probably into a definitely, but I think we’re going to have to leave soon before the server forcibly kicks us out,” Chloe literally pouts, and Beca glances around to see the places has filled up since they arrived and the servers are indeed glancing pointedly their way.

“Huh, I guess we’ve been here a while,” she responds, watching as Chloe uses her spare hand to pull her phone out of her bag.

“After nine. Yup. Come on,” Chloe slides her phone back into her bag and moves to stand up from the booth, not letting go of Beca’s hand in the process. “I’m paying, by the way.”

“But-“

“Nope. No arguing this one,” Chloe cuts her off before she can protest, and she just shakes her head and follows her over to the counter to pay.

“So…” Chloe trails off, when they’re standing outside, shivering slightly in the cool night air. Beca kind of wishes she had a jacket to offer her, but she hadn’t thought to bring one. “Need to be anywhere by any particular time?”

“Nope. Do you?” Beca returns the question, although she knows Chloe was asking whether she has a curfew without being blatant, and Beca’s grateful, because the idea of a curfew makes her feel like a kid for living with her parents. She’s thankful that her parents have never had reason, evidently, to suggest something like a curfew.

“Nah. Want to come back to my place? Just, to hang out or whatever?” she asks, and Beca nods.

“Is Aubrey home?” she asks, remembering Chloe mentioned they live together, once they’re already in Beca’s car and she’s following directions for the short drive to the on-campus apartments. Chloe had walked to the diner, evidently, it not being far from the campus.

“Nah, she flew out to her parents’ place in New York for the holidays an hour or so ago, she was on her way to the airport when I saw her earlier.”

Beca’s quietly glad, as much to avoid any awkwardness over the whole thing the previous day as she is for the sake of privacy.

“So, I take it you’re into Christmas?” Beca asks when she steps into the apartment through the door Chloe is holding open to see a moderately sized, although noticeably fake, Christmas tree and an assortment of other decorations all over the combined kitchen/dining/living area.

“Absolutely. It’s magical, it’s all about happiness and togetherness and kids get so excited – I wish I could see Aubrey’s niece getting those beads we bought her, she’s an adorable little thing, six years old…” she trails off. “I have a feeling you’re not as into Christmas?”

“I’m… not, no. My family is small and not particularly close, and I liked the whole presents thing as a kid but there was a temporary separation with my parents that kind of came to a head on Christmas when I was 7 so it… yeah,” Beca finishes, squeezing her eyes shut and looking up at the ceiling when she realises how much detail she just went into, “I don’t know why I told you that.”

“I’m lucky, to have had the whole big happy family thing for Christmas my whole life, and I totally understand why you wouldn’t be as keen on it if you haven’t had that,” Chloe answers, gently tugging Beca over to sit down on the couch with her. “You can tell me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Don’t usually bring out my deep-seated childhood emotional issues on a first date, you know. Or like, ever,” she admits, again not sure why exactly she doesn’t just brush it off.

“I don’t intend for getting to know you to be superficial or limited to the easy stuff. People aren’t one-dimensional, I certainly don’t expect you to be and I’m happy you’re not putting up a façade,” Chloe replies, shifting slightly so, more than already pressing up against Beca’s side, her arm wrests around Beca’s shoulders and one knee is on her lap. “Besides, I don’t usually tell people how guilty I feel for not being more aware of how I was treated differently when I came out to other people in high school. Or about how my friendship with Aubrey started so shakily.”

“Did you meet her in Freshman year?” Beca asks, feeling the need to redirect the conversation slightly, feeling Chloe’s nod in the way her shoulder moves against her.

“Yeah, right at the start of the year. I love singing, I was in a choir in high school and I saw the stall for the acapella singing group on campus at the activities fair the day after I moved into the dorms here and went straight for it. I met her properly at the first group meeting like two weeks later.” Chloe explains, “she’s been my best friend since pretty early in freshman year, we were the two newbies in the group so we kind of stuck together. We’re actually going to be co-captains next year, the rest of them are graduating, so there will be plenty of spots to fill…”

“I still don’t sing in public,” Beca counters her suggestive smile, Chloe giggling in reply.

“I’ve got eight months to convince you.”

“What do I need to do to hear you sing?” Beca queries, absentmindedly reaching up to play with Chloe’s fingers on the hand around her shoulders.

“I dunno, just hang around a bit, I sing like… all the time. In the shower, when I’m cooking, when I’m studying…”

“Ooh, I don’t know which of those I want to be around for more,” Beca’s response is almost snarky, although suggestive snark, and she can tell it surprises Chloe by the way she squirms beside her.

“I think the studying one will be the soonest, just because I have a final on Monday,” Chloe starts, and Beca worries she’s been too explicit until she continues, “and I’m guessing, as much as I wouldn’t be unhappy if it did happen at all, you probably need to go home at some point tonight and if we do sleep together I don’t want to wake up alone afterwards.”

“I um, yeah, will need to be home at some point so I don’t get shit from the parents,” Beca replies, feeling herself turn awkward, “and maybe I’m not totally on board with sex like… tonight?”

“That’s totally fine, Becs, I don’t mean to pressure you or anything at all. And I really didn’t ask you back here expecting anything, I did just want to keep hanging out. Although I’m liking this cuddling thing, as long as you are too?”

“I’m very much okay with the cuddling thing. Becs?” she repeats the nickname back, shifting slightly so she can meet Chloe’s eyes more directly than she has since they sat down.

“Oops,” Chloe answers, sounding completely unapologetic and biting her lip.

“Can I kiss you?” she asks, and if the question surprises Chloe, she doesn’t show it, merely nodding her head as Beca twists and pulls her further towards her and straight into a kiss.

It progresses quickly and it isn’t long before Beca finds herself lying on top of Chloe, still on the couch, one hand tangled in Chloe’s hair and the other gripping the edge of the couch for stability. Chloe, for her part, has one hand up Beca’s shirt and the other wrapped around her back, continually trying to pull her closer. She could happily stay there for much longer, however she feels herself losing breath more and more quickly between kisses, reluctantly pulling back to take a proper breath.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask if I could…” Chloe mumbles, Beca’s slight movement away from her making the hand cupping her breast through her bra all the more obvious.

“I would’ve stopped you if I didn’t want it,” Beca answers, before letting herself shift back down towards Chloe again. “Are you okay with everything?” she asks, softly, barely far enough away to avoid their lips meeting.

“Yeah,” Chloe’s response is confident, and quickly followed by the resumption of their kiss.

“So… have I upgraded to definitely the best date yet?” Chloe asks, sometime later, pulling Beca up and onto her lap to straddle it. It takes Beca a moment to reply, her mind not yet completely caught up with the fact Chloe had flipped their positions.

“Absolutely. When can I see you again?”

“Monday after my final is all the time I have free before I head to Florida. So, like, any time after lunch Monday, if you’re free?” Chloe asks, hopefully, and Beca leans in and presses a kiss to her lips before she answers.

“I’m working Monday, but I’m free from 6.”

“6 on Monday it is, then.”

“I don’t want to leave now,” Beca shifts their conversation slightly, immediately increasing the intensity of the kiss Chloe pulls her into in response. “I should probably leave. But you’re not making it easy.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” Chloe answers with words, the second time, although she interrupts herself with another kiss before continuing, “but I also don’t want to get you in trouble.”

It’s another twenty minutes before Beca finally finds the will to extract herself from Chloe’s embrace, although reluctantly so. She’s not quite sure what has happened to her, she’s usually a make out and run type, but she feels like doing the opposite of running, even though she is also acutely aware that this is not just a hookup thing and there are already feelings involved.

“I really did enjoy tonight. I can’t wait to see you again,” Chloe tells her with a soft smile, still sitting on the couch as Beca stands up, evidently taking a moment to compose herself before also standing up. “I’ll text you and work out the details?”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Beca answers, “and I enjoyed tonight too. See you Monday, I guess?” she finishes, as she approaches the door with Chloe close beside her. There’s a very strong part of her that wants to throw aside the fact that her parents would absolutely know _why_ if she didn’t go home tonight and her very real nerves about going further than the making out she’s very used to and very confident with – but it doesn’t win, this time.

“See you Monday,” Chloe confirms, pulling her into another kiss, both of them wedged uncomfortably against the door. Beca can’t stop the tingling in her lips and the soft smile on her face the entire trip home, and she hopes to no end that both of her parents will be asleep. The telling glow of the light in the living room says otherwise, though, and she tries to school her face into her usual grumpiness as she parks in the driveway and steps inside.

“How was your date?” her Dad asks, looking up from the book he’s reading – how damn predictable – to fix a stare on her.

“Um. Good,” Beca answers, refusing to meet his eyes. It’s just… awkward. It’s not what she wants to talk about with her parents, for christ’s sake.

“Your Mum said she’s at Barden, do you know what major?” he asks, and Beca sighs audibly.

“Literature and history. Yes, she’s been in your classes and no, I’m not telling you her name.”

“Second date?”

“Yeah, Monday. After the final,” Beca answers, resigned to an inability to avoid the questions as her Dad stands up and follows her into the kitchen while she gets herself a glass of water.

“Oh, she’s in literature and memory?” he answers, interest evidently piqued.

“I wasn’t meant to say that,” Beca groans, lifting her arm up to hide behind.

“You know, there’s only 25 people in that class this semester. And twelve of them are men. And I know at least five of the girls’ partners.”

“Dad, please.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go to bed and leave you to it.”

“Were you waiting up for me?” she asks, before he turns to leave, glancing up at him to see a guilty expression. “Oh, come on.”

“Sorry, Becs, but we’re still your parents and I don’t even want to mention it, trust me, but your mother figured in case you weren’t home by midnight and it seemed like you weren’t coming home at all-“

“Just, stop. Please.”

Beca is almost thankful Stacie isn’t on shift the following day to tease her about her date, and neither Nicole nor Jess mention it. Of course, she has less luck on Sunday, Stacie cornering her before Jess arrives and bombarding her with so many questions she can’t even begin to respond to any of them.

“Stacie! Chill!” she exclaims, after a moment, just as Jess steps into the store.

“Everything okay?” she asks, eyebrow raised, and Beca sighs.

“Yeah, she was just asking too many questions as once about… something.”

“About the date she went on Friday that she keeps refusing to talk about with the hot redhead from Thursday!”

“Ugh, fine, Stacie. It was really good, we got along well, I’m seeing her again tomorrow. Happy?” she grimaces at the squeal she receives in response, praying that Jess starts her morning briefing or something but having no such luck for at least two more minutes of questioning she resists. She’s almost glad that they’re overrun with customers as soon as the store opens and they don’t have a moment to chat for the rest of the day.

“You said you’re meeting up with your girl again today, right, Beca?” Jess asks in the middle of their morning briefing the following morning, and Beca is taken aback.

“Um… yes?”

“What time?”

“Six…” she trails off, not sure how it’s relevant.

“Okay, I’ll need someone other than Beca to volunteer to work through to 7 tonight, then. I will, of course, but I’ll need someone else. Stacie?”

Stacie begrudgingly accepts, throwing a look her way that she has to fight not to respond to with an inappropriate degree of glee.

“You got me out of working an extra two hours this evening, thanks,” Beca tells Chloe when she answers her door, stepping inside when Chloe moves aside to invite her in. They had eventually agreed that, given it was literally freezing outside and Chloe still had to finish packing to leave in the morning, they’d just get takeaway and hang out at Chloe’s place. Sure, it was probably too casual for only their second date, but neither of them minded.

“I’m glad I could help, but how?” Chloe asks, as Beca shrugs off her coat and, after a moment of awkwardness, folds it over the back of the couch.

“Coworkers teased me into telling them I was seeing you again tonight, so my manager excluded me from the candidates for doing the extra hours we put on tonight.”

“Cute. I’m glad you’re here, though. I didn’t want to wait until I get back to see you again,” Chloe’s response turns softer as she pulls Beca towards her and into a gentle kiss, much more so than any they shared on their previous date.

“I’m glad I’m here too. When do you get back?” Beca asks, following her in sitting down on the couch, leaving little space between them.

“Well, I’m driving, so I can kinda choose when. I don’t know, depends what I decide I want to do for New Year,” she answers, a hint of caution to her tone that Beca has not previously encountered. “Are you doing anything for new years eve?” she adds, after a moment, and Beca tries to prevent her brain from ascribing any particular meaning to that question until it’s confirmed.

“Stacie is dragging me and a few other friends from work and school to a party, I have a feeling it’s mostly a college kids party actually,” she shrugs.

“Is it the one at the warehouse just off campus?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. You know about it?”

“It’s my Atlanta new years option. My family always does a thing for new years, we do fireworks and whatever, but none of my high school friends are around in Florida over breaks any more so it’s kind of lonely and… maybe I want to make out with you at midnight on new years eve?”

The statement confirms the meaning Beca was trying to avoid assuming, and it comforts her, in a weird way. Chloe wants to be with her for that stupid new years tradition and maybe she likes the sound of that too.

“Of course I don’t want to take you away from your family time, but… if you do choose to come back before the end of the year… I wouldn’t be opposed,” Beca answers, instead, “I can kind of get behind that particular tradition.”

“Only that one? Because there’s mistletoe above us right now,” Chloe replies, nonchalant, and Beca shrugs.

“I don’t need mistletoe to kiss you, but if you say so.”

“God you’re really good at that,” Chloe murmurs, out of breath, when they both reluctantly pull back some minutes later.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Beca answers, not trying to hide her breathlessness or the huskiness in her voice. She has no problem with Chloe knowing the effect she has on her.

“What do you want to eat?” Chloe asks, the immediate smirk and lip bite indicating she knows exactly which joke she invited, so Beca chooses not to state it out loud, instead merely winking in acknowledgement.

“What’s good around here that delivers?”

“There’s a pretty good pizza place, Chinese although that one is a bit unreliable, Japanese...”

“Do you have a preference?”

“I could go for a pizza.”

“Pizza sounds good.”

They have the requisite discussion about pizza toppings, quickly coming to the dreaded pineapple debate and finding they are on opposite sides of the fence, although Chloe quickly relents and agrees to no pineapple on the large they’re going to share. Much like last time, their conversation is lighter while they wait for their food and eat. As they finish, Chloe reluctantly tells Beca she kind of needs to finish packing, and Beca follows her into her bedroom, awkwardly talking a seat on the bed and watching as Chloe brings clothing out of neatly arranged drawers into an equally neat suitcase. They banter back and forth about all manner of things, some related to Chloe’s packing.

“So you need six shirts to be away for what, six days?”

“I never know what Florida weather will be like this time is year,” She defends herself, Beca nodding in acknowledgement as she shifts around to lean back against Chloe’s pillows. She’s about to say something else, but she’s interrupted before she starts by the sound of her phone ringing in her bag from the other room.

“Um, no one calls me unless it’s an emergency, I should check that sorry,” Beca says, quickly scrambling off the bed and out of the bedroom. She’s not sure what to think when she sees it’s her Mum.

“Hello?” She replies, voice laced with mild concern.

“Hi, sorry I called, nothing’s happened I just figured you might not see a text. Where are you with this girl?” Her mother asks.

“Uh, just at her apartment at Barden. Why?” Beca is cautious, not sure why the question needs to be asked.

“Have you looked outside recently?”

“Um, no? I fail to see where this line of questioning is going...”

“There’s a snowstorm. I know you haven’t driven in any weather like this before and like... you probably shouldn’t. Definitely not if you’ve been drinking even a tiny bit. But just, have a look outside and have a think about how you’re going to get home? Or let us know if you aren’t?”

“I haven’t been drinking. I’ll... let you know, yeah.” She hangs up, then, phone still in her hand as she wanders back into Chloe’s room and over to the window, curtain drawn.

“What are you doing?” Chloe asks, as Beca peeks around the curtain. She doesn’t answer immediately, instead gesturing outside at the intense snowfall, already collecting on the ground in uneven drifts and piles of slush. “Shit.”

“My Mum called because she isn’t sure how I’ll get home and she figured I wouldn’t have noticed it myself,” She explains, Chloe nodding.

“Hopefully it will be clearer by the morning when I’m going but you can’t drive in that, I’d...” she trails off, stepping over towards Beca and taking both her hands. “worry too much.” She finishes, with a nervous smile.

“I don’t want to drive in it,” Beca confirms, “why are you nervous?”

Chloe is clearly surprised by the question, and she seems to take a moment to collect her thoughts. She steps closer to Beca and squeezes her hands before she starts.

“I... don’t know what this is to you. But I, uh, it’s not just messing around or casual dates for me. I absolutely have feelings for you, it’s where that worry is coming from, but I don’t want to scare you off if I go too much too soon or if this is just casual to you.”

“It’s not just casual for me,” Beca answers quickly, reassuringly, not wanting to leave Chloe waiting. She struggles, though, to find the rest of the words she wants to say. Instead she presses their bodies together and wraps her arms around Chloe, face nuzzled against her neck, mumbling the rest of her statement. “I’m not usually this open until I’ve known someone for like... years. I can’t say I’m not freaking out a bit, but I’m not freaking out about what you’ve said, more about the fact that I know I have feelings for you too. And I did kinda want to tell you that.”

“Is it just freaking you out because you’re not used to it, or would you prefer we moved slower?” Chloe asks, softly, although the confidence in her voice has returned. Beca pulls back, reluctantly, to meet her eyes.

“Not slower. I haven’t exactly done the feelings thing before, that’s why I’m... yeah. But at the same time, I guess it kind of makes sense, that you’re different, that I am more comfortable with you.”

“You make me feel comfortable too, you know,” Chloe smiles lightly, pressing a kiss to Beca’s cheek. “Would you like to stay here tonight? I can sleep in Aubrey’s bed, if you’re not comfortable sharing, but yeah. I don’t think it’s a good idea to drive home.”

“Yeah, if it’s not a problem, I think I’ll stay. I’ll just... let the parents know. And put my phone away,” she grabs her phone from her back pocket, quickly walking back out of Chloe’s room and sending a text to her mother before she puts her phone away and wanders back.

She glances over at Chloe almost instinctively, not able to stop herself from making a noise of surprise and turning back to face the wall when she sees her holding something black and lacy that is definitely underwear.

“Oh sorry, didn’t know how long you’d be,” Chloe sounds half apologetic, and Beca slowly turns back around to see her still evidently holding the item, although behind her back.

“I can disappear for a bit, if you want to pack anything with me... not here.”

“Nah, it’s fine, I wasn’t packing that anyway. Don’t need the fancy shit when I’m there,” Her tone is somehow both cautious and teasing at the same time. It makes Beca squirm, of course, but not in a bad way. She decides to play up her embarrassment instead of being awkward, messily climbing back on to Chloe’s bed and grabbing one of her pillows to hide behind.

“Now you’re just making me imagine you wearing it.”

Chloe doesn’t respond, and Beca panics just enough to shift the pillow to reveal her eyes and watch as Chloe, no longer holding anything, walks back around the bed and flips her suitcase shut. She turns back to Beca, then, and Beca has to stop herself from gasping at the look in her eyes. She drops the pillow, shoving it out of the way and reaching her arms out to pull Chloe in as she shifts on top of her and presses her into the bed with a firm kiss. Her body betrays her, of course, as she lets out a sharp gasp when Chloe’s lips move down her neck. She is gentle until she reaches Beca’s shoulder, and she knows there will be a mark there but she was clearly trying to only mark her where she can hide it and it fills her with a rush of appreciation that she can only deal with by pulling her back up to her lips.

“Fuck me,” Chloe mumbles, the next time she pulls back, and it fills Beca with a rush of something else. Chloe freezes a moment later, though, pulling herself up and away from Beca. “I... don’t mean that like... I just-“

“Chlo,” Beca stops her, gently, shifting slightly under Chloe until she realises she wants to sit up.

“I don’t want to push you, but I can’t really work out what you want,” Chloe explains after a moment, and Beca nods.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been... clear. I haven’t exactly...” She trails off, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut, “slept with anybody before. And I convinced myself I didn’t want to last time but that probably wasn’t true then and it definitely isn’t now.”

“I figured you hadn’t,” Chloe’s reply isn’t judgemental, but Beca can’t help but ask.

“How? Am I obviously inexperienced?”

“No. If I was going off how you act when I’m on top of you I wouldn’t think that at all. But you seem nervous in the same way you did about feelings, and you said that was because it’s kinda new to you.”

“Yeah,” Beca confirms, before adding almost as a defensive afterthought, “I was on top of you most of last time.”

“I know, it was surprising and super hot and I couldn’t get to sleep after you left because I was so turned on,” Chloe answers, matter-of-factly, and Beca can’t help the noise she makes in response. She wants to be embarrassed, for a moment, until Chloe responds to it by falling back against her, and Beca doesn’t resist letting herself be pushed back down on to the bed. “Can you please - are you okay, if we go further? I know you’ve implied it but I just,” Chloe murmurs, between kisses, “consent is good.”

“More than okay. I’ll tell you if I don’t like something,” Beca answers, “are you okay with it?”

“God, yes,” Chloe’s answer is emphatic, and it spurs Beca on.

“You’re so hot,” Beca doesn’t expect herself to be the one to break the comfortable silence when they mutually decide they’ve done enough for one night some time later and have settled exhausted beside each other on top of the covers, but she can’t help saying something as she unashamedly rakes her eyes down Chloe’s body.

“Thanks,” Chloe answers, still breathless, moving around to pull the covers over them and shifting closer to Beca. “I’m a cuddler after, I hope you don’t mind.”

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” Beca jokes, although she hopes the way she pulls Chloe closer with an arm around her back makes it clear she doesn’t mind at all.

“I’m going to miss you the next few days,” Chloe admits, and Beca doesn’t have it in her to shy away from anything right now.

“Same. You’ve kind of worked your way into my life very quickly, Beale.”

“Could say the same about you, Becs.”

* * *

Beca is mildly disorientated when she wakes the next morning, although less so because she’s in an unfamiliar bed and there’s a very naked, very attractive woman half on top of her and more because she knows it’s way earlier than she would usually wake up without an alarm. It’s probably a good thing, considering she has to get home and get ready for work before 8:30am. She doesn’t make any effort to move or wake Chloe, though, instead merely turning her head slightly so she can see where Chloe’s face is hidden against her shoulder. She wasn’t kidding about being a cuddler.

“Morning,” Chloe mumbles against her skin when she wakes only a few moments later, slowly shifting back slightly so her head is at least on the pillow they’re sharing instead of on Beca.

“Hey,” Beca responds, quietly, taking note of how graceful she looks for having just woken up and inwardly worrying that she probably looks a little rougher. At least she remembered to remove her makeup last night before she fell asleep.

“What time is it?” Chloe asks, the grogginess clearing from her voice. Beca just shrugs, before she continues, “check my phone, I think it’s beside you.”

Beca does just that, grumbling when she realises they need to get out of bed and get ready for their respective days.

“You suuuure we don’t have time?” Chloe twists around so she is straddling Beca, and she has absolutely no desire to turn her down, so she doesn’t. Her makeup is a little more rushed than usual once she finally gets home, but it’s worth it.

“Merry Christmas xxxx” Chloe texts her at 8am on Christmas morning. It wakes her up, although she doesn’t tell her that, instead returning the sentiment and asking what her Christmas Day will involve. For Beca’s part, she has to go to her aunt’s place for Christmas lunch and endure her Dad’s family’s awkwardness for a few hours. She’s the “adult kid”, now, so she gets wrangled into wearing a Santa hat and handing out presents from under the tree to all her younger cousins. She takes a selfie while she’s still wearing the hat, scowling at her phone, before rushing to rid herself of the hat as she sends the picture through to Chloe.

“You make a cute grinch 😉“ she gets a response quicker than she expects. She can’t help but grin at her phone when she receives a photo of Chloe in reindeer antlers and a surprisingly classy Christmas sweater a moment later.

“Get off your damn phone and talk to some real people,” her uncle interrupts her brief moment of happiness and she rolls her eyes, not honouring him with a response.

Thankfully, they don’t stay long after lunch, and by mid-afternoon they’re back at home. Beca isn’t quite sure what to do with herself, though - Jesse and Stacie are busy with their families, Chloe’s messages have slowed, but she’s too tired from the last few days to even think about mixing or homework. Her mother, for her part, is sitting in their living room reading, so she continues wandering through the house.

“What are you doing?” She asks her Dad, finding him set up at the dining table with a stack of papers.

“Starting to work out preliminary marking for the final yesterday. Want to read this one?” He holds an exam script book out towards her, and she goes to take it - he occasionally gives her really interesting student responses to read - but pauses before she does.

“Um, whose is it?”

“Her name is Chloe. Beale.”

“Um... I probably shouldn’t,” She says, instead, the phone in her pocket suddenly feeling like it weighs a hundred pounds.

“Hmmm? Why?” He asks, not fully paying attention to her, “she’s partially written about how music is used by a couple of the authors we read as a memory device. It’s right up your alley. Pretty good too.”

“No, Dad, I- feel like I should ask her before I read her stuff,” she responds, not wanting to be too clear in what she’s saying.

“OH-“ Her Dad starts, loudly, -oh! She’s your... date? Chloe?”

“Um. Maybe.”

“Oh, she’s nice. Actually talks in class, answers my questions when everyone else is being silent. You seeing her again?” he turns to look at her, and Beca nods slowly, clearing her throat before she speaks.

“Yeah, when she’s back from her parents’ place,” her voice squeaks, despite the throat clearing, and she takes it as a sign to get the hell out of there and hide in her room before anything else embarrassing happens.

Her next five days are interspersed with texts from Chloe, although relatively infrequently as Chloe is busy with friends that were unexpectedly in Florida too. The nagging in her mind every time Chloe doesn’t answer an inconsequential question she asks and instead replies hours later with merely an apology for the delay is hard to avoid. It’s not the hours that matters, it’s the shallowness of their texts.

Jesse replies more quickly, although it’s mostly for his own benefit. She reluctantly agrees to see this stupid movie with him after a half-day shift at work on the 27th, on the condition he pays, of course. She buys a large popcorn anyway, ruining her plan of it being a no-cost hangout, but she needed something to pass the two hours in a dark room with no intention of actually paying attention to the screen in front of her.

“What’s up with you? You’re grumpier than usual,” he asks as they wander out afterwards, and she rolls her eyes.

“I did just endure a movie, dude.”

“I know, but you’re acting all moody about something else.”

“I’m not,” she defends, although she knows her tone is unconvincing, and his raised eyebrow tells her he is far from persuaded. “Okay, fine, I met this girl – she was a customer at work and gave me her number. Went on a couple dates, they were great, but she’s being weird over text now and I’m worried she’s changed her mind or something.”

“How come I didn’t know about this girl? And two dates?? That’s a lot for you,” he replies, incredulous, and she can’t help but feel a little offended. She doesn’t honour him with a response, instead watching him realise how his statement sounded. “Okay you know I didn’t mean that, just I know you don’t do feelings or caring about things continuing with people and this sounds like that.”

“I know,” Beca shrugs as she answers, dragging her feet in the light slush on the ground as they step outside.

“Can you like, straight up ask her if she wants to see you again?”

“I mean, she’s out of state with her family for Christmas. I think I’m seeing her again if she comes to that party on New Years Eve. And I’d be chill if she couldn’t text me at all while she’s not here, that’s fine, it’s just she is texting but not saying much and ignoring my attempts at conversation.”

“Think you’re gonna have to wait until you see her again then, B. And if it doesn’t work out, find someone else to make out with at the party,” his tone turns joking, but Beca just sighs as they come to a pause beside her car.

“Yeah, don’t think so.”

She volunteers to take an extra shift at work in the intervening days, helps her mother extensively clean out their house and donate a bunch of things to goodwill, and makes more intense mixes than she has for quite a while. Somehow, it still drags, but she tries to convince herself it’s just because the week between Christmas and New Year is weird anyway and definitely not about Chloe.

“So, coming back to Atlanta for tomorrow night?” Beca texts her, trying to sound casual, the day before.

“I don’t know ☹” Chloe’s reply is quicker than any for the last few days but it still gives Beca an uncomfortable sinking feeling. “I really want to I miss you but my parents are throwing a party this afternoon and if I drink I might not be okay to drive tomorrow,” her next message is equally quick, although the indication she’s still typing doesn’t disappear.

“obv I’d like to see you again but yeah only drive if you’re okay to,” Beca types back, figuring that it’s a valid reason and she should probably chill on the missing her thing.

“I’m already a little tipsy sorry the party started before and I’m pissed I haven’t talked to you much and my friends are being stupid and trying to convince me you don’t actually like me I wish I hadn’t started drinking but now I feel gross and sad I need to get more drunk to be happy,” Chloe’s next reply appears only moments after Beca hits send, and it immediately sends her brain into overdrive. “sorry. Rambling. Also bad way to treat alcohol don’t be like me.”

“Don’t think I haven’t had alcohol before Beale,” Beca replies, quickly, hoping she picks up the humour and runs with it while she tries to work out how the hell to reply to the rest of the message. “I dunno why your friends are doing that but I miss you and I do like you promise and you don’t have to text me constantly if you’re busy it’s fine, altho I like when you do”

“😘😘😘 I want to text you tho. Mum yelling at me to get off my phone but I promise I’ll let you know tomorrow if I’ll be back. And sorry for future drunk texts”

Beca simply sends a kiss emoji in response, forcing herself to quickly turn to homework instead of trying to process where the hell her emotions stand after that conversation. I mean, it was nice, but… friends that don’t like her already? No new years kiss?

For once, calculus seems the easier option.

She doesn’t check her phone all evening, but reluctantly, when she finally wakes the following morning – so she stayed up late making mixes, whatever – opens it to see a long string of unread messages. She replies to Stacie’s text reminding her about the party, first, followed by Jesse’s pointless ramble about how wrong the best movies of the decade list he read was. She isn’t sure why, but she’s putting off reading Chloe’s. There’s quite a few, too. She slides out of bed and over to her desk to sit up before she opens their message thread and scrolls up to her last text.

“I told my mum about you she isn’t telling me to get off my phone anymore”

“I showed her your fb picture she thinks you’re cute”

Beca smiles at those two messages, sent not long after her last message. There’s a few hours gap, judging by the timestamp, the next not coming through until after 6pm.

“family are boring I want to dance”

“will u dance with me tomorrow night?”

“I gottta be there so I can dance with u”

Beca pauses for a moment, then, letting herself mentally wander into a fantasy of being able to spend her night with her. She’d considered the whole midnight kiss thing already but hadn’t really thought about the rest of the night, about introducing her friends to Chloe and finding out what music she likes at a party and, yeah, maybe even letting herself be dragged into dancing.

“I’m only a bit drunk and I’m going to bed early people are still here but I gotta drive tomorrow xxx” reads Chloe’s next text, when she snaps back to reality, timestamped close to 9pm.

“I’m sorry about last night, sorry I got all sappy and sad on you, but I’m fine this morning and I’ll see you tonight?” the final text reads, and Beca can’t keep the grin off her face. She figures Chloe’s already on the road, so she keeps her reply short.

“Looking forward to tonight x”

* * *

“What’s up with you?” Stacie asks, eyeing Beca as she leans back against the sofa in Stacie’s living room that evening. Jesse snickers in response to the question and if they weren’t in the presence of a bunch of other friends she isn’t as close to she might actually answer. But there’s six people in the room, not three.

“Nothing,” she lies, turning away to force a conversation with Benji so Stacie can’t keep asking her.

She’s cornered as soon as they enter the party two hours later, though, Stacie grabbing her and pulling her off to one side. She’s not surprised when Jesse sidles over to try and glean gossip from her too.

“Seriously what’s up? You’re all antsy and very not chill,” Stacie pushes, and Beca rolls her eyes.

“Chloe will be here. I think. And she’s been weird since I last saw her but she drove back from Florida this morning so she could be here so I dunno what’s happening. Happy?”

“Oh wow you’re really into her hey?” Stacie’s surprise is almost offensive, but she’s not in the mood for sharing so simply shrugs her shoulders and directs all of them over to the bar.

She’s engaged in conversation with Jesse, CR and Georgie - both acquaintances from school - when she feels someone’s hand on her shoulder pulling slightly to turn her around. She’s about to jump and yell at them when she realises she recognises the touch, confirmed only when she turns and is pulled into the arms of a grinning Chloe Beale.

“Can I kiss you in front of your friends?” Chloe whispers in her ear as they hug.

“Yeah,” she replies, although neither of them makes a move to cease their hug until a minute later.

When they do let go of each other, Chloe leans in and presses a quick kiss to her lips. Neither takes it any further, turning back to face the group as Beca stumbles through introductions. Chloe seems to fall comfortably into their conversation, though, and Beca feels herself relax into the arm sitting lightly around her waist.

Stacie joins them after a while, although she’s too busy hitting on Jesse to pay much more attention than a quick hello to Chloe.

“I swear to god if you two make shit weird for me,” Beca tells Stacie and Jesse, when only the four of them remain standing together, scowling when Stacie laughs.

“Don’t worry B, I’m just playing. Jesse’s too nerdy for me. Talking of which, I gotta go find a dude to actually hit on before midnight,” She wanders off with an air of confidence and certainty Beca wishes she could pull off.

“Rude,” Jesse plays offended, although it’s obvious he’s joking before he too excuses himself to talk to someone else he spots.

“Your friends seem nice,” Chloe tells her, turning slightly to face Beca now they’re alone.

“They’re fun,” She answers, with a shrug. “How was Florida?”

“It’s warmer there, that was nice. Good to see my family too but I kind of wish I hadn’t seen my high school friends. I mean, it was good to catch up, I guess, but. Turns out they’re more judgemental than I remember.”

“That sucks. I’m glad it was nice otherwise, though,” Beca sympathises, reaching out to grab hold of her hand.

“I know we’ve only been on two dates, I didn’t mean to tell everyone about you but I kinda couldn’t stop myself,” Chloe bites her lip, worried, but Beca shakes her head.

“I accidentally told my Dad your name which I think is worse given he knows who you are.”

“Oh no, I hope he thinks I’m a good student.”

“He told me you’re a nerd that always answers questions in class,” Beca returns the joke, glad when Chloe laughs. “Maybe not in those words.”

“So do you have a fake ID or are they not carding?” Chloe asks, dropping her arm from around Beca and reaching out for the near-finished beer she’s holding to examine it. Beca is suddenly self-conscious, somehow both that she’s drinking at all and that she’s drinking the lightest strength beer they had.

“Not carding,” she confirms, reaching up to rub her neck awkwardly.

“Thought so. I’m going to go get something, come with me?” Chloe requests, and Beca nods. “I don’t wanna let go of you,” Chloe adds, a whisper in her ear as they slowly navigate through the crowd near the bar. The venue used to be an industrial warehouse, but it’s been converted into a bar now that the Barden campus has expanded and there’s so many students around. Beca discards her now-empty bottle in a bin they pass on their way through the room.

“Want anything else?” Chloe asks her, when they finally find a clear space at the bar, although the bartenders are not paying much attention.

“Um, sure. Nothing strong though.”

Beca is surprised when Chloe orders two mid-strength beers, having expected her to go with something completely different. She doesn’t bother to protest when Chloe hands her card over to pay for both of them, guessing she’ll make it up somehow. If they keep hanging out.

She knows she’s withdrawing into her thoughts on that point, aimlessly following Chloe as they shift away to a less crowded section of the bar. Chloe leads them to a booth and she goes to sit opposite her, but instead, Chloe indicates for her to slide in beside her and she follows.

“Beca?” Chloe’s voice is soft, when she snaps her out of her mind a moment later.

“Y- uh, yeah?” she responds, not meeting Chloe’s eyes.

“Did I… do something wrong? I’m sorry if I freaked you out yesterday, I was… I don’t know. I can’t explain why I got all sappy without doing it again and I’m worried I’m going too much too quickly for you and I don’t want to do that.”

“No, you didn’t, it’s not-“ Beca starts, sighing as she struggles to find the confidence to be open. She doesn’t continue, but she lets herself fall back against the booth seat and lean sideways against Chloe, finally looking up at her.

“Becs, I don’t want to push you, but I can tell you’re second-guessing this and I… we need to be able to talk,” Chloe explains, cautious, and Beca feels a wave of panic building in her chest. Maybe she isn’t ready for this. Maybe she isn’t enough for Chloe. Maybe she-

“I’m not second guessing whether I like you. Just… whether I’m enough for you,” Beca forces out, her heart pounding so much she kind of feels like she wants to be sick. “I- I… I mean, Aubrey and, if your other friends don’t like me and- I panicked when you took my drink that you’d judge me for drinking, or for drinking the weakest shit here like a kid but I just didn’t want to be drunk before you got here and I wouldn’t have cared if you didn’t text me while you were away if you were busy but you did text me just kind of without saying anything like maybe you didn’t want to just felt like you had to and- and I don’t know what we are but I’m scared I’m gonna fuck it up because I don’t know how to do this.”

She’s exhausted, with how much she shares, but the way Chloe responds by taking her hand between both of hers and bringing it to her lips has her heart racing for an entirely different reason.

“I’ve been talking to Aubrey. She’s going to apologise to you properly when she’s back, if… you still want to be around me then. And she doesn’t have a reason for being shit to you. My high school friends… were being really gross and asking me sex questions I didn’t want to answer and I realised they don’t get that I’m like, emotionally and romantically into women not just sexually. And I’m sorry I wasn’t clearer that I didn’t agree with how they were being about you yesterday,” Chloe starts, taking a shaky breath and pausing for a moment. “I’m scared too, Becs. I really like you, you’re definitely enough for me, but I’m terrified of scaring you off because I know you are hesitant about all this. And I’m so happy to go at whatever pace works for you, I just need to know what that is.”

Chloe pauses for longer this time, and Beca tries to collect her thoughts before she replies, trying to rapidly calm her mind and sort through the mess of thoughts running through it.

“Oh, and no judgement about whatever you’re drinking. Promise. As long as you’re doing whatever you want to do and not feeling like you have to drink because I am or something. I don’t want to go crazy tonight anyway,” Chloe adds, her confidence seeming to return.

“I still want to be around you,” Beca starts, shifting closer to make her point, “and I… I’m not actually hesitant. And I’m surprising myself, yeah, but you are… you make me feel comfortable. I mean, I just talked through a mini panic attack and I’m already relaxing because I’m touching you. But I feel… needy and clingy and I don’t want to be annoying or something because I want to talk to you and hang out with you so much but maybe the pace that works for me is… not slow.”

“I’m sorry I made you panic,” Chloe starts, softly, but Beca quickly cuts her off.

“We needed to have this conversation, you were right.”

“I… don’t believe in the whole thing that wanting to be around someone you’re dating or… whatever is bad and clingy. There’s nothing wrong with that, its kind of normal? Like, I know I’m a touchier person than some, but it seems obvious to me that you’d want to spend time with someone if you like them? I don’t know…” Chloe trails off. “I want to hang out with you, too, you know. Like, a lot.”

“What are we? Are we defining… this? Because I… yeah. I don’t know, I just…” Beca trails off, part of her wishing she could withdraw the question.

“What do you really want to ask me?” Chloe turns the question back on her, and Beca meets her eyes to see a knowing glint and a lot more excitement than she expected.

“I’m-“ Beca starts, stopping to take a few slow breaths.

“My answer is going to be yes,” Chloe mumbles as if to reassure her, and Beca nods.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Beca even manages to sound a tiny bit confident when she asks, shifting into relieved laughter when Chloe rapidly nods and pulls her in for a kiss that quickly intensifies.

“What do you want to do the rest of tonight? I don’t mind if you want to just hide out here. Or even leave. I know this is… a lot,” Chloe asks, after they pull away, and the rasp to her voice gives Beca way more pride than it probably should.

“Honestly? I want to get way more drunk than I am, pretend I don’t want to dance but let you make me anyway, and hang out with my friends and you more. Or anyone else here that you know. And then go home with you after midnight,” Beca admits, feeling herself blush.

“I know like…” Chloe scans her eyes across the room, “a third of the people I can see. But, yes, I like that plan.”

Chloe isn’t kidding that she knows almost everyone, but they still spend more time actually conversing with Beca’s friends, although Beca still finds herself comfortably engaging in meaningless small talk with way more people than names she will remember, Chloe’s arm firmly around her waist the entire time. Stacie ends up being the one to convince them to join in the crowd of dancers, although Chloe isn’t at all reluctant to follow her and drag Beca along.

“How are you good at this too?” Beca mumbles in Chloe’s ear, trying not to overthink her own probably awkward moves as her girlfriend presses back against her. Chloe doesn’t respond with words, but she turns back to face Beca and somehow pulls her even closer in the process.

They pile out into a small courtyard attached to the bar with Jesse, Stacie and some dude she’s dragging around, and a handful of people Chloe knows, two minutes before midnight with way too many other people there, but there’s fireworks over the city and it feels like the right thing to do.

“Thirty seconds!” some guy screams, and a messy countdown starts, although the bar inside broadcasts one that is a second out of sync and everyone stumbles to get in time. Beca chooses not to join in, though, instead twisting around and leaning up to kiss Chloe as soon as they hit zero, one hand gripping her back under her shirt and the other sliding into her hair.

“Get it, Becawwwww!” Jesse’s scream is the thing to end their kiss, and she sticks her middle finger up at him in response. There isn’t any room for her to pull away from Chloe anyway, but they continue to share disorganised kisses and light touches as they pay half attention to the fireworks above them.

“Wanna leave?” Chloe has to raise her voice for Beca to hear her over the roar of the crowd gathered both inside and out when the fireworks finish, despite the fact she’s talking straight into her ear. Beca doesn’t attempt to say anything, instead nodding and lightly tugging Chloe’s hand to move with the crowd back inside and towards the exit.

The cold night air hits Beca with force as they step outside the front of the bar – she’s not sure how she didn’t feel it in the courtyard before. She is acutely aware of her lack of sobriety, now there is space around her, and although she’s not _particularly_ drunk she still leans against Chloe as they start trudging in the direction of the on-campus student accommodation. Chloe is leaning on her just as much. They’re certainly not the only people walking across the campus to get home, but the crowd thins out and the noise dies down until they are alone in silence as they approach Chloe’s apartment.

“You must be freezing,” Chloe murmurs, gesturing at Beca’s skirt as she opens her front door and gestures for Beca to step inside first.

“A little,” Beca answers, grinning as she pins Chloe against the door.

“Want me to warm you up?”

“Cheesy as fuck, but yes.”

The second time Beca wakes up in Chloe’s bed she isn’t disoriented, nor is it early. She can feel Chloe watching her, can feel her breath against her cheek, but she keeps her eyes closed and feigns sleep for another few minutes. She must be able to tell, though, because she presses a kiss to Beca’s cheek, reaching across Beca to find her hand and lace their fingers together.

“Morning,” Beca mumbles, not able to stop herself sighing happily when she opens her eyes to see Chloe in front of her.

“I don’t think I said it last night, so happy new year,” Chloe almost whispers.

“Mm, I think I like holidays again,” Beca replies, curling up tighter against Chloe as she focusses on the slow, repetitive movement of her thumb across the back of her hand.


End file.
